Man Scales Station, Causes Power Outage

April 24, 1988

LANTANA -- Most town residents were without power for about an hour on Saturday morning when a 33-year-old Jupiter man climbed to the top of some high-voltage equipment and caused a short circuit in a transformer, officials said.

Janet Swinson, Florida Power & Light Customer Service supervisor, said a man somehow gained access to the secured substation about 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

He climbed to the top of some equipment and caused damage that cut off power to two feeder lines. Several thousand customers lost electricity, Swinson said. Officials said the man`s motive is unknown. The case is under investigation, officials said.

``It was a deliberate entry into the station,`` Swinson said.

The entry occurred at the FPL substation at the corner of South 14th Street and Hypoluxo Road, officials said.

The man, whom authorities refused to identify, was taken to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, where he was listed in stable condition with second- and third-degree burns to his face, chest and back.